After our discussion of World Music, I felt inspired to further to explore the connection between John Coltrane and Indian Classical Music. I think that Coltrane’s study of Indian music is in direct response to his internal desire and need for a kind of structural framework or architecture in which to solo in a free context. Although Dr. Porter’s book, John Coltrane: his life and music, presents a quote from John Coltrane stating “since (My Favorite Things), I’ve been listening more and more to Indian music, and I’ve been trying to use some of their methods in some of the things we’re doing, but at that time it was more or less subconscious,” could it be possible that Coltrane may have begun to assimilate the work his was putting into to listening, analyzing, and (almost certainly) playing along with recordings of Indian music?
I think that Coltrane was experimenting with free jazz based on his experiences with Ornette Coleman and Sun Ra (especially with John Gilmore), but I postulate that Coltrane must have been looking for structure or a method of architecture for the music in different ways other than harmonic progressions. Obviously Ornette Coleman was very focused on the melodic implications, but I think Coltrane came to Indian music and was influenced by it because of its way of structuring the music based on the ragas.
On My Favorite Things[1], Coltrane demonstrates a sound concept reminiscent of the sounds of Indian music. I hear this connection especially because in the context of other possible influences on the soprano sound-wise, Coltrane’s sound represents a radical departure, which I believe was may have been inspired by Indian music. Use these clips as a baseline for comparison:
Steve Lacy- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlFUPVv6010
Sidney Bechet- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG4nPM9uxwg
Steve Lacy and Sidney Bechet were the two major influences on the soprano pre-Coltrane. Sidney Bechet’s approach and sound concept was distinctly influenced by the New Orleans jazz tradition, imitating the sound and vibrato of the clarinet. In the Steve Lacy clip, he has much less vibrato, but still maintains a very round, warm sound. In direct contrast, John Coltrane’s sound on soprano was very sharp, piercing, and harshly vivid. I think that there may be a specific Indian instrument, the “mukhavina,” which could have been a formative inspiration for his sound. This instrument is “a smaller version of the nadaswaram, usually only about a foot and a half in length… like the nadaswaram it is played in south India but it is more common in folk music. Curiously the name "mukhavina" literally translates to "mouth – vina.”[2] I submit a recording of the instrument for your comparison.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy_yUDy5Vtk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nfKpiGwRVo&feature=player_embedded
Even if Coltrane did not come into contact with this instrument, I believe that his sound is very comparable, and therefore has a likely influence from the Indian music tradition. I think it is very doubtful that he was able to forge such a unique and innovative sound completely independent of outside influence, especially considering the direction of his listening and performing.
During the course of the solo on India from the 1961 The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wuaquaMmGA), I concluded that Coltrane may be using a raga based on the scale F G A B C D. He initially explores the lower tones of the scale, C and D, with the melody, which we learned is how Indian players begin the ragas. He consistently comes back to ideas and motives based on the intervallic structure of this scale. Now, to be sure, he certainly uses free sounds similar to those conceived on Impressions recordings (2:03), but he continually returns to the “raga ideas”. Coltrane also bends notes in the style of an Indian musician at 5:38.
As I was combing through Coltrane recordings from this time period, I found this recording of My Favorite Things from the 1966 Newport Jazz Festival's which I compared with a Ravi Shankar recording (unfortunately not the same time period). However I made a discovery of a similar ascending skipping motive that I would like to provide for you to review. To me this could demonstrate a definite Shankar influence on Coltrane, who says himself, “I collect the records he [Shankar]’s made, and his music moves me.” These two recordings are not made in the same time period, as I unfortunately do not have any recordings of Shankar of my own to be honest. However, given I was unable to find any information that he regarded Coltrane as an influence, or that he listened to his music heavily, I think that it is highly likely that the skipping motive Coltrane uses may come from his listening to Shankar’s music.
3:29, My Favorite Things, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAPbpI9O3ww&feature=related
- Ascending skipping motive
3:50- Shankar, Raga Rangeela Piloo,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzN2gUGYUGc
John, I appreciate this excellent and very detailed post which reflects a lot of careful thinking and research. A few comments:
ReplyDeleteI agree that although Trane says he knew little about Indian music when he did My Fav Things, he was a very humble man and it could be that he knew more than he thought he did. On the other hand, we have to accept his word that he did not seriously study Indian music until after My Favorite Things.
About Ornette, Sun Ra and John Gilmore -- be careful in terms of establishing the influences on Trane. Ornette is a definite and direct influence because Trane knew and visited him, and he hired his bass player! -- Jimmy Garrison (very few people realize this important connection). But the influence of Gilmore was limited and very specific -- Coltrane said he got some ideas of how to approach "Chasin' The Trane" from Gilmore, and since Gilmore made a recording with Sun Ra just before then where he chops up the beat in a similar way to Trane's later solo on "Chasin'," it's a good guess that that's what Coltrane was talking about. He did not say that Gilmore was an influence on his free playing, though that's likely of course.
As far as the sound quality, your point is very well taken. However I think the instrument you mean is the shenai, which is essentially the North India version of the nagaswaram (aka nadaswaram). In fact the two videos that you linked us to are by the most famous shenai player of Ravi Shankar's generation, Bismillah Khan. He played in the same North Indian style as Shankar, which was an interest of Trane. Most importantly, Khan's recordings were available in the USA since about 1959. Some info on the shenai is here:
http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/shehnai.html
Lastly, you can't expect us to sift through those last two recordings to find the skipping motive that you're talking about. Please give us the exact timings where we can hear these motives. (By the way, as I will remind everyone, that is a requirement when you hand in any work to me -- to give exact timings.)
Great job!
Lewis
John pointed out to me that the timings are in his blog--check it out:
ReplyDelete3:29, My Favorite Things, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAPbpI9O3ww&feature=related
3:50, Shankar
lewis